Follow-Up Study of a Sample of Offenders Who Earned High School Equivalency Diplomas While Incarcerated

• NCJ Number: 105925
• Author(s): D G Macdonald
• Date Published: 1986
• Length: 5 pages
• Corporate Author: New York State Dept of Correctional Services
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

To determine if earning a high school equivalency diploma (HED) affected recidivism rates, a representative sample of 326 New York State inmates who had earned HED's in 1983 was followed for at least 12 months.

Abstract

Of the total sample, 205 had been released by the end of December 1984. A comparison of their recidivism rates with the projected overall return to custody rates indicates that their rates were significantly lower. Only 17.1 percent were returned to custody as compared to a projected rate of 26.3 percent. Findings of this preliminary research suggest that acquisition of an HED while incarcerated is positively related to postrelease adjustment as measured by return to custody. Increased success may be due to increased motivation of this sample, as well as to completion of the HED. 1 figure, (Author abstract modified)